DELIBERATELY DIVERSE | The Rev. Terry Pierce
Deliberately Diverse represents the opinions of a group of Taylor friends who never completely agree about anything but enjoy diverse discussions.
In the Gospels, the Greek word “therapeia” is often translated as healing or curing. In early Greek, it meant service to the gods which included things such as worship and maintaining the temples. Later it came to mean service the gods could render to people or communities, including reparation of our bodies and souls and communities.
The Rev. Thomas Keating describes “divine therapy” as a lifelong process of inner healing and spiritual growth that occurs when we submit to God’s presence through practices such as Centering Prayer.
He often quoted Matthew 6:6: “But when you pray, go into your private room, shut the door, and pray to your father in secret; and your father, who sees in secret, will reward you” to describe the practice of prayer.
For Thomas, inner healing is to be found in making a consistent daily time and space for sitting with God’s presence. That time is marked by silence. When you go into that private room and shut the door, sit in silence.
That silence makes space for you to hear and be present with God.
I compare it to what is needed to maintain a relationship with a loved one. If I only talk and never listen, there is not space for me to truly get to know that person. If I always talk first, telling my loved one what they need to do for me or how they need to help me, I sometimes get so wound up in what I want that I am not available for the help that is offered.
Divine therapy works over time to heal deeply rooted emotional traumas and unconscious patterns that cause us pain and suffering.
That process requires personal cooperation through stillness, rest and redirecting harmful thought patterns and activities you can learn by participating in centering prayer practices with groups or by exploring Centering Prayer online.
Contemplative Outreach is one group that supports people in Centering Prayer practice. They say, “Contemplative practices facilitate and deepen our relationship with God. The more we practice and allow the transformation process to happen, the more we are able to experience the Indwelling Presence in everything we do.
Contemplative practices give us the eyes to see and the ears to hear God calling us to the banquet that is our lives, as they are.”
It is a process guided by God’s intelligent and unconditional love, determined to bring about healing and wholeness.
In that process, we are able to become who we truly are, manifesting the divine life within each of us.
Pierce is the vicar of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Taylor and can be reached by email at ministry@stjamestaylor. org. Information about Centering Prayer can be found at contemplativeoutreach. org and through local churches.
